Let’s have a Glee-ki

First, I’m sorry for missing out the last couple of episodes. I had some things. Like Thanksgiving. During which Glee aired a new episode? Not about Thanksgiving? They saved the Thanksgiving episode for the week after Thanksgiving, despite airing a new episode on Thanksgiving.

It’s a shame, because the last two episodes were pretty good! They continued the trend of asserting the new characters comfortably on the forefront, spending little to no time with our New York friends. Ryder, Jake Puckerman and Marley (wearing notably fewer dumb hats) are getting increasingly more complex and likable. (Kitty is still painted in some pretty broad strokes, but I’m sure we’ll eventually learn that she has Fibromyalgia or a sixth toe or some other sob story that makes us love her. Still, she’s a lot more interesting when she’s singing, so more of that.)

And speaking of singing, the songs have been pretty good too. All the Grease stuff was fun, and the songs on “Dynamic Duets” (particularly “Holding Out For A Hero,” “Superman” and “Some Nights”) were excellent Glee moments.

Did tonight continue the streak, or was “Thanksgiving” a real turkey? Click on!

In a nutshell: Let’s just cover some basics from the last few weeks first. Brody slept with Kate Hudson, so Rachel is having a pout. Rachel and Finn decided they shouldn’t speak anymore because they are never, ever getting back together. Like, ever. Kitty is still encouraging Marley to purge, and Finn is getting the New Directions ready for Sectionals. Ryder and Baby Puckerman both still have feelings for Marley, but have become besties after Baby Puck helped Ryder realize he wasn’t Jordan Catalano, but he was dyslexic.

OK, with that out of the way, this week’s episode …

In New York, Brody convinces Rachel that it was totes cool that he slept with Cassandra, because sure, of course it was. Rachel tucks her crazy away and is also totes cool all of sudden? Alright. Great. Mature, adult relationships, I guess that’s how those work. She invites Brody to join her (and cook) for a very special orphan Thanksgiving at her and Kurt’s apartment.

Anyway, Kurt’s plus-one turns into a plus-much-more-than-one, when Carrie Bradshaw’s gaggle of fabulous friends (including RuPaul’s Drag Race‘s own Shangela) come over to halleloo and, well, vogue all over their apartment.

When you’ve got Carrie Bradshaw in your apartment singing Scissor Sisters with a drag queen from a RuPaul television show, the only way to make that situation any gayer is to call your gay boyfriend. So, Kurt retires to the fire escape to ring Blaine and tell him that, although he can’t forgive him just yet, he misses him a lot. They agree to talk over the holidays. I hope those crazy kids work things out.

Back in Lima, as is the tradition, the New Directions just started preparing for their upcoming competition. Luckily, the Thanksgiving holiday has brought home glee veterans Quinn, Mike Chang, Mercedes, Puck and Santana. Finn pairs the old timers with the new timers in hopes they can be mentored.

Baby Puckerman comes clean to Ryder that he and Marley had a little date. Ryder is totes cool with it, as long as Baby Puck let’s Ryder dance lead (that’s a thing?) on New Directions’ performance of “Gangnam Style” at Sectionals. Of course, Baby Puck is trained in ballet (he studied at the famed school Deus Ex Machina), but he’ll forgo his dance destiny to let Ryder have the spotlight. Bros before ho…rtensia.

(Side note: At one point Ryder is practicing and studying the lyrics to “Gangnam Style,” which is hilarious because supposedly he couldn’t read? I guess it turns out, he’s not dyslexic, he’s just Korean.)

Marley’s extreme dieting has started to take a toll on her body, and her mind isn’t doing so hot either. All the pressure she’s heaped upon herself for sectionals is making her a little woozy. Her mentor Santana takes notice and quickly deduces that Quinn’s protege Kitty is behind all this. When Santana confronts Quinn, Ms. Fabray is all snobbish and thinks this is all about Santana being jealous of Quinn. In response, Santana is all WHATEVER, I MUST HAVE A BIG, LESBIAN CRUSH ON YOU, OR MAYBE IT’S JUST YOUR NEW COLLEGE BOYFRIEND HAS A THING FOR TEEN MOMS WHO DON’T SEE THEIR KIDS EVER.

Then Quinn slaps Santana (thems being slappin’ words, after all), and Santana slaps her back. And then Brittany catches them and Quinn snootily storms off. Not much more development here, but Quinn did mention Santana being afraid to pursue her dreams, so maybe the prediction I’ve been making since episode one will come true, and this will be the impetus Santana needs to move to New York. Finally.

Competition time! The Warblers do their handsome Warbler thing and it is handsome. Then some Mennonites do some singing that is very … Mennonite? (Mennonites: So hot right now.) Then it’s time for New Directions to go on! But Marley! She is having a panic!

Sensing the importance of this victory for the lady he lurbs, Ryder tells Baby Puckerman last minute that he must be the one to do the “Gangnam Style” dance. Who says chivalry is dead?

It’s all for naught though, because just as Tina was putting the vaguely racist cherry on top of this high-energy performance, Marley collapses on stage!

Gasp! To be continued.

Someone Check Santana’s Weave for Razorblades: “Lumps, let me just say out loud what everyone here is thinking: You finally got an OK haircut, you’re not doing that annoying half smirk as much as you used to, but you’re still an idiot.”

Kurt Keeps It Fabulous: “When you two are done using that turkey as a courtship device, can you put it in the oven?”

RAWR! HISS!: “Quinn always was a genius slapper”

Naughtiest Line You May Have Missed: “I can sense it thanks to my psychic Mexican third eye.”

Best Musical Number: “Let’s Have a Kiki,” no contest. How much fun was that? So fun. One of my favorite performances of all time. The only downside is if this somehow pushes kiki into the mainstream vernacular. A close second was the Warbler’s “Whistle,” which had lots of naughty charm. Oh, Warblers, you cads! The rest of tonight’s song fell a little flat. I’m looking at you, Simon and Garfunkel/Phillip Phillips mash-up.

The Gold Star: Baby Puckerman. Now that he’s not playing such an obvious badboy with a heart of gold and is just sort of rocking his golden heartness, he’s become much more likable. I really believed his struggle to try and do right by Ryder, even if his convenient ballet background was a bit of stretch.

Blingee of the Week: For some reason this photo looked like they just pulled off some kind of Ocean’s 11-esque heist.